(PHOTO: Team Dayā held its inaugural inaugural Building Change event with digital advertising pioneer and longtime Team Dayā supporter David J. Moore. Dave discussed his new book, The 24/7 CEO, in a virtual fireside chat with Netflix vice president and Team Dayā board member Nicolle Pangis.)
In our inaugural Building Change event, Digital advertising pioneer and longtime Team Dayā supporter David J. Moore discussed his new book, The 24/7 CEO, in a virtual fireside chat with Netflix vice president and Team Dayā board member Nicolle Pangis.
Dave and Nicolle shared inside stories from 24/7 Media, Xaxis and WPP, including 24/7’s journey from a $1.8 billion market capitalization through the dot-com crash and penny-stock territory to a successful $649 million acquisition. They also explored a question at the heart of Team Dayā’s work: what does Building Change take?
Just a few highlights from the conversation:
The day after 9/11, when David swam laps in an empty athletic club pool, then wrote the company a letter (see 16:23)
The WPP quarterly review where David opened with “Martin, I made a mistake,” and it wasn’t his (see 29:03)
What he’d do differently if he ran it all again (see 31:44)
Watch the full recording (just below), and if you want to see what this series supports, start at (6:25). Stay tuned for details about our next event.
Your Support & The Team
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
If you have a combination of fundraising chops, an adventurous spirit and the belief each of us has the capacity to be Building Change, get in touch with us and have a conversation.
(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, is complete.
The school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April, and construction was completed over the summer. Thirty-seven students are already enrolled in the new school, 24 of them girls. Efforts are being made to enroll out-of-school children to ensure they can also take advantage of this new facility. Instruction is offered through eighth grade and is conducted by two teachers.
(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026. Edgar Sales is a teacher at the school.)
The people of Sector Puerto San Bartolo invested an incredible 688 volunteer workdays, and provided the land and essential materials like sand, water, and gravel as part of this project. They have also guaranteed equal access for girls to the new school.
“My heart is filled with joy because this is our struggle,” said Modesta Gomez, a 55-year-old grandmother of students enrolled at the school. “Others helped us but we helped too. Now my grandchildren say, ‘What a beautiful school. Now we want to come every day.'”
“Now I can bring my computer and teaching materials to school without worrying that they will be damaged or stolen,” said teacher Edgar Sales. “I finally have the opportunity to teach my students in a better way by using technology, something that simply wasn’t possible before.”
Prior to the Team Dayā-funded school building, these children used four provisional classrooms constructed by the community, where walls made of metal sheets and earth flooring (aka no floors!). During the hot summer months, the classrooms become nearly unbearable, while in the rainy season, water leaks through the structures, turned the floors into unsafe and uncomfortable spaces for learning.
(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)
As of 2022, the literacy rate in Guatemala was 84.27%, indicating that approximately 15.73% of the population aged 15 and above remains illiterate. Poverty is also a pressing issue, with 59.3% of the population living below the national poverty line.
In areas such as Sector Puerto San Bartolo, illiteracy rates are higher, and educational attainment is lower, especially among marginalized Mayan ethnic groups. Many residents are subsistence farmers who cultivate crops like beans, corn, chili peppers, and cardamom, and raise livestock.
(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. The school during construction this spring and summer. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. The school during construction this spring and summer. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)(PHOTO: The Team Dayā school in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala is complete. The school during construction this spring and summer. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This community member is signing the school covenant with her thumbprint because she is illiterate. The school will give a new opportunity to children to learn to read and write.)(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)
The School
(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. This is our 12th school overall and the third school being funded in Guatemala. The community broke ground in April 2026.)(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. The existing classrooms [one shown here] are made of metal sheets and earth flooring, creating a difficult learning environment for students.)(PHOTO: A new Team Dayā school is underway in Sector Puerto San Bartolo, Guatemala. The four existing classrooms shown here are made of metal sheets and earth flooring, creating a difficult learning environment for students.)
Your Support & The Team
Please consider supporting Team Dayā. We cannot build these schools without your support. Example investment opportunities:
$50,000 Fund an entire school
$1,250 Paint for a school
$625 In-country mason during the entire construction of the school
$312.50 All the nails, nuts, and bolts to build a roof for the school
If you have a combination of fundraising chops, an adventurous spirit and the belief each of us has the capacity to be Building Change, get in touch with us and have a conversation.
(PHOTO: The first Team Dayā school build in Dhayapur, Nepal, October 2019. Left to right: Jaryd Knutsen, Winnie Yang, Jay Sears, Hasan Arik, Jordan MItchell and Suman Chagarlamudi.)
Team Dayā is pleased to announced its 2027 and early 2028 school building dates. For our supporters that want to bear witness to Building Change, and see for themselves the impact of primary school education in fighting poverty and illiteracy, consider joining us.
Curious? Have questions? Contact our Head of Recruiting Jaryd Knutsen. You can also contact any Team Dayā member and ask about her or his experience (scroll through our site). Each participant on a Team Dayā school build covers 100% of her own cost, and commits to raising money towards our school construction fund.
If you work in advertising or technology, there is almost certainly someone you know among our team members and supporters! Read the first person accounts of school building and listen to some of our Team Dayā members, just below. We also welcome others who are not able to travel but still want to joining a team and help us raise funds.
Team Dayā 2027 School Project Dates:
Guatemala 2027
Sunday, March 7, 2027 – unday, March 14, 2027
Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
Arrive & depart: Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA-La Aurora Intl.)
Senegal 2027
Sunday, April 18, 2027 – Saturday, April 24, 2027
Arrival by 2pm on first day, departure after 10am on last day
